Book Review: Elwood, The Story of a Catholic World War II Hero

Honestly, when Elwood: The Story of a Catholic World War II Hero came at my doorstep some months ago, I was a little hesitant to read it since I was never a big fan of military stories. However, probably one of the best things about running The Catholic Man Reviews are the books you are blessed to have the opportunity to come across by surprise and you have the chance to learn and read a variety of genre of Catholic books.

Interesting enough, as I was reading Elwood, it was also during this time that I began to finally unwind and watch some movies, particularly the Marvel Spiderman movies starring Tom Holland. I have heard much about the franchise, and the trilogy, especially with the release of the latest, Spiderman: No Way Home, but never bothered for years. To understand what the fuss was all about, I took the quest to watch the movies, and most recently culminated with No Way Home. Now, I finally understand why people enjoy watching the Spiderman franchise.

People in general, I think, are interested in two things: stories and heroes. Throughout history, stories have been passed down from generation to generation and many of them, never get tiring to retell and relisten. I am certain that many of our readers here have watched the Spiderman movies more than once… well, at least for me, I would want to rewatch some of the Marvel Spiderman movies, or maybe spend some time exploring more of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movies… but I digress. The thing with MCU storylines or heroic stories in general, speak about these people that give us a sense of hope and optimism in a world full of all sorts of distractions, and in many regards selfish. A question for some might be: In a world filled with a sense of hopelessness, whether it because of a pandemic, terror, violence, war… is there such thing as a “friendly neighbourhood Spiderman?”

We might be tempted to respond: No, a friendly neighbourhood Spiderman, or a superhero of MCU level is impossible, they are fiction. And to some extent, yes, despite the fictiousness of these characters, such people who do exemplify the qualities of a superhero do exist, and if not, to a much realer degree than what Spiderman or Dr. Strange can offer.

I don’t know how well Sr. Lucia Treanor, F.S.E. knows about Spiderman, but as author of this inspiring new book published by Our Sunday Visitor, she to a great extent knows about a real-life “friendly neighbourhood Spiderman,” of whom she is a direct relative. Elwood is a story that tells of young man who understood what it was to truly be a Catholic gentleman. His name was Captain Elwood Joseph Euart, who was “born in 1914 in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, the second of seven children in a faithful Catholic family.”

Sr. Treanor provides much insight into this young man’s early life with so much before him. His early life was not without faults and failings, but Elwood was determined to become a better person, a virtuous man. And indeed, virtue, as I was reminded by a Catechist, are good practices that are practised over and over again throughout one’s lifetime. This is made clear in the story of Elwood because in the midst of mistakes, he stoof back up again and persevered. In part, this was due to his dedication and commitment to his own spiritual life, and his family’s firm Catholic roots helped him to stay grounded in Catholicism.

This notion of virtue I find, was important to set the stage for his vocation in the military. There is much context to Sr. Treanor’s book that outlines his time in the military which are not to be skipped over. However, it is the apex of the book that highlights his heroism that struck me and kept me in shivers after reading it: The President Coolidge a large former merchant ship refurbished to hold 5000 soldiers, sank after a terrible disaster: the members of the ship were not told of the U.S. military mines that were placed in advance (to put in layman’s terms). The ship sank, but Captain Elwood Euart, given the chance to get out, made sure that every person on the ship was able to get out before he did, even the sick in the infirmary. On this quest, being able to save every person, when his task was complete and it was his turn to leave the ship, he was unable to – the knot he tied himself to the ship, to save the infirmed men, was tightened, nor was he able to locate his knife. With that, he gave of everything, and he went down with the ship.

“No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13) This is the life, certainly influenced by his faith, that Elwood strived to exemplify in his pilgrimage through life. He had the chance to save himself – yet, his thoughts turned to others, especially the most vulnerable. There are two dimensions that we see in the heroic act of Elwood that deserves much reflection in a world dominated by a notion of the “self”, the “ego.” First, it is the obvious selflessness, even unto death, in his leadership position. I remember taking the Leadership and Peer Support class in grade 11 of high school, and the leadership teacher had a beautiful practicing of having the class recite the “Leadership Prayer.” The prayer is beautifully composed, and has the following line, “Leadership is less about the love of power, and more about the power of love.” This is the core of leadership, love and love is to will the good of the other, according to Aquinas – that is better said than done, but Elwood was able to uphold that. Secondly, in a “throw away culture,” that Pope Francis speaks to on many facets, it is easy to forget the most vulnerable in society, and thus, a temptation to leave them behind in isolation, forgetten, or worse, rejection. Elwood then, in his last moments of life upheld the sanctity of life, especially those of the sick, who in the secular world, may be seen as a burden, unable to contribute to the welfare of society.

The story of Elwood, then speaks to the need to be someone more than just the “friendly neighbourhood Spiderman” – we need to get into reality and discern for our lives: Where can I be an instrument of God’s love, bringing hope to the hopeless in my current state of life? The story of Captain Elwood Euart is then, a point of true inspiration in such journey of discernment.

So, what media out there is as exciting as Spiderman: No Way Home, or if not, more exciting (and inspirational)? Elwood: The Story of Catholic World. No, I am not over exaggerating. Sr. Treasor is an amazing storyteller – I was able to imagine and picture many scenes as she lively describes them in her book, as like a movie at a Cinelplex movie theatre rolling through my mind. If this story were ever to be produced as a movie, I would recommend Tom Holland play the role of Elwood.

To learn more and purchase Elwood: The Story of a Catholic World War II Hero, click here.

Disclaimer: Vincent Pham was provided a review copy of Elwood: The Story of a Catholic World War II Hero to provide an honest review of it on this blog. The Catholic Man Reviews thanks Our Sunday Visitor for the opportunity for us to review this title on our blog and look forward to future reviews. All thoughts and opinions expressed in here are our own and reflect our sincere thoughts about the title.

Book Review: Dare to be More, The Witness of Blessed Carlo Acutis

Who better to close of the year with, than with Blessed Carlo Acutis? This past year, we have reviewed a fair number of books about the young Carlo Acutis. Liguori Publications published an original English title on Carlo Acutis this past Fall, titled: Dare to be More, The Witness of Blessed Carlo Acutis, written by Colleen and Matt Swaim. Out of the Carlo Acutis titles reviewed on this blog thus far, this book comes out to be the thinnest, with only 48 pages. However, the content contained within this short booklet is not lesser quality than any of the other titles featured here.

One of the things we mentioned previously is that even though we have reviewed, now, the fifth title on Carlo Acutis, each book comes with a different perspective and prompt that comes out of the life of Carlo Acutis. Dare to be More is written seemingly for a teen audience in mind. While Book Nicola Gori’s Carlo Acutis – The First Millennial Saint and Fr. Will Conquer’s Carlo Acutis – A Millennial in Paradise seem to have more of biographical emphasis, Mgr. Anthony Figueiredo’s Blessed Carlo Acutis – 5 Steps to Being a Saint and both of the Swaim’s Dare to be More have an emphasis on the call to sainthood and how one can fit into the shoes of Carlo Acutis in original ways.

Why is the book titled, “Dare to be more”? The answer to this question can be found in the first page after the table of contents, as the authors chose to place a quote from Pope Francis’ Post-Synodal Exhortation to Young People, Christus Vivit in 2019, where he says,

Dare to be more, because who you are is more important than any possession. What good are possessions or appearances? You can become what God your Creator knows you are, if only you realize that you are called to something greater. Ask the help of the Holy Spirit and confidently aim for the great goal of holiness. In this way, you will not be a photocopy. You will be fully yourself.

Christus Vivit 107

While this quote seemingly comes out of the blue, or may seem like a space filler, it is actually not, when taken into the full context. I would invite one to read the whole book and get back to this quote. Section 107 of the Apostolic Exhortation comes after the section in which Pope Francis introduces to young people the witness of Carlo Acutis (see sections 104-106 of the Apostolic Exhortation). At the end of section 106, Pope Francis quotes one of Carlo’s most notable sayings, “Everyone is born as an original, but many people end up dying as photocopies.” The call to be original saints is what Pope Francis speaks of in the quotes section 107, and that is how it fits into the larger context of this book. How relevant of a message that this book strives to expand upon based on the life of Carlo Acutis! In a world where people want to fit into the secularization, Catholics in their call to sainthood are called to something more than being photocopies of secularizaiton, but the original person that God made them.

Dare to be More is divided in to six-chapters that touch upon various biographical and spiritualities of Carlo Acutis. These chapters are titled as follows:

• Who is Carlo Acutis?
• The Source and Summit: Carlo’s Devotion to our Lord in the Eucharist
• Our Lady: Mary as Carlo’s Mother and Yours
• Carlo’s Holy Humanity: Computers & Nutella
• Care for Others: A Not-so-Me Generation
• When life Involves Suffering: Pain and Death

These themes I think are alluded to in various ways in Mgr. Anthony Figueiredo’s Blessed Carlo Acutis – 5 Steps to Being a Saint, but I think the language used in Dare to be More is more suited for a younger teenage audience, in my opinion.

There are photographs of Carlo Acutis scattered throughout the book. However, the interior of the book is produced in black-and-white… I personally think it would have been more effective to have the book printed in colour to bring these photographs to life. Many, if not all of these photographs can be downloaded and viewed at the Association of the Friends of Carlo Acutis website, at: www.carloacutis.com. Photographs serve two purposes: one, is to captivate young people; two, is to show the humanity of these saints in a very tangible way. While we hear of so many great young saints like Maria Goretti or Dominic Savio, there just aren’t many photographs out there that are relatable to young people. Carlo Acutis is a model of sanctity for millennials and therefore, I think the photographs should be reproduced in ways that make sainthood relatable.

One of the features I really like about this book are the questions scattered throughout that helps one put themselves in the shoes of a saint. For example, this first one in the first chapter :

Blessed Carlo Acutis is often called the unofficial patron saint of the internet. That includes gamers, computer programmers, social media users, and related cuber communications. If you ever become a canonized saint, what do you hope to be a patron of?

Dare to be More, page 7

Cheesy? Maybe so for some people, but I think it really gets young people thinking of their passions and talents, and how they can use those passions and talents for the greater glory of God, use them towards their vocation to sainthood.

I also enjoy the little info-boxes that helps shed light on some things that might be unfamiliar to some people, such as the Eucharistic Miracles website (Dare to be More, page 9) and even an explanation of what Nutella is (page 31).

What makes Dare to be More different than the other titles is that I think it can be effectively used in a group setting. Not only are the chapters short enough to process and reflect on, but each chapter comes with [1] a Bible quote to be memorized in a section called “Memory Verse,” [2] a list of proposed action items called “Saintly Challenges.” These two components remind me of what happens at the end of each lesson of the CCO Faith Studies, in which group members are to memorized a Bible verse and also do a challenge. The challenges propose in this book are very doable and are destined to help build good spiritual habits. For example, one is to consider attending weekday or Saturday Mass, with particular emphasis during the summer while on vacation, before or in the middle of school day (at lunch I assume) or work day. Such challenges considers the circumstances of students and to build good spiritual practices. Perhaps it does not need to be daily Mass, but start with an additional Mass outside of Sunday… sainthood starts with these small steps.

Dare to be More, The Witness of Blessed Carlo Acutis is a beautiful short booklet that will introduce to young peopel the life and witness of the young Blessed Carlo Acutis. It is concise, while prompting young people to “Dare to be More,” that might mean stepping outside their comfort zone in order to respond to the call to be saints. In the context of a New Year, this book might be the ideal tool to start a realistic New Year’s Resolution.

Check out a sample of Dare to be More, The Witness of Blessed Carlo Acutis here.
Purchase the title from Liguori Publications here.

Disclaimer: Vincent Pham was provided a review copy of Dare to be More, The Witness of Blessed Carlo Acutis to provide an honest review of it on this blog. The Catholic Man Reviews thanks Liguori Publications for the opportunity for us to review this title on our blog and look forward to future collaborations. All thoughts and opinions expressed in here are our own and reflect our sincere thoughts about the product.

Day 9: 365 of Catholic Wisdom by Deal W. Hudson (TAN Books)

365 Days of Catholic Wisdom: A Treasury of Truth, Beauty and Goodness published by TAN Books is the second year-long devotional featured in this series this year. What is with The Catholic Man and daily devotionals? I am not a Catholic guy who have used devotionals a whole lot, mainly because I have a reading routine, especially with review copies received (every read has been exciting and insightful… the reviews on here hopefully speaks to that) and so I get a good chunk of my spiritual reading from the books I get, as well as those in my personal library, mainly from book sales or as gifts. However, not many people can get spiritual reading done. Perhaps other priorities take over that chunk of reading time. Maybe spiritual reading is just not something you are willing to chip out time for… there can be excuse upon excuse to not do spiritual reading.

If you want to get in a good habit of doing some spiritual reading, devotionals are way to get started, and I think TAN Books’ 365 Day of Catholic Wisdom does this well. There are 365 daily readings contained within this volume that does not start on any particular day. YOU get to choose when to start. It may be January 1? Or a particular feast day of a saint? Or on your birthday? While I think it is encouragable to go through the book 365 days straight, without any calendar-structure, you can technically read the passage every other day over a course of two-years, or even weekly, taking 365 weeks. In short, I think the format of how you can use the reflections in this book is fairly flexible. You can choose to adapt the time of reading to your schedule.

The range of wise Catholics features in hear span far and wide. There are the familiar names like St. Augustine, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Dante Alighieri, St. John Henry Newman and St. Thomas Aquinas, to name a few. There are many contemporary figures as well such as Marshall McLuhan, Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, and a numnber of newer names (at least for me) like Dana Gioia and Anthony Esolen. There are some names whom I would have never considered if I were to compile a volume of “Catholic Wisdom,” liek the voices of Blaise Pascal and Charles Taylor – both of whom I have encountered in philosophy and ethics classes. This book can really open one up to the wide range of voices and gives one an opportunity to know a bit about some lesser known voices. The author and compiler of this volume, Deal W. Hudson states in his introduction,

The reader will wonder why some highly-regarded figures, such as Benedict XVI and Saint John Paul the Great are not included. The reasons are simple: first, their writings are available and already widely-read, and second, if I started choosing quotations from their writings, they could fill a book of their own.
[…]
This collection gathers the familiar with the unfamiliar, the philosopher with the poet, the historian with the mystic, the sinner with the saint.

I think Hudson does a great job in making these connections in this volume. It is, I think to not only get to know the well-known figures of the faith, but also, the lesser known and give value to those voices as well. The book is like a walk back and forth through history to see the difference schools of thought.

The quotes provided in this book have a wide variety of themes, from philosophical excerpts, poetry, theological texts, reflections on Catholic media… indeed something new for the reader to think of each time they pick up this volume. I think by the end of the year (or longer), the reader will have a better picture at how diverse Catholicism really is, and how Catholicity is not something weekly, but rather, be an identity engrained in every aspect of our lives.

Do not know who the author of the blurb is? Hudson provides a concise, but very informative biography of the writer after their excerpt. I always emphasize on this blog the need for contextualization of texts, and this is one of the great points about 365 Days of Catholic Wisdom. This is not a devotional that merely acts like a calendar… you know those tear-away calendars that might have pretty picture and then a quote, but no context on the author of the quote? While these tear-away calendars are inspirational, I personally do not think they evoke curiosity or inspiration. This devotional on the other hand, is able to prompt a curiosity for one to perhaps know more about the author, perhaps even look into their works. For me, it might be to add a couple more books on my shelf!

If you or your friend are new to spiritual reading or simply want to expand your horizons of Catholicism, then 365 Days of Catholic Wisdom is for you! It is indeed, “A Treasury of Truth, Beauty and Goodness.”

Check out the hardcover or eBook version on TAN Books.

Disclaimer: Vincent Pham was provided a review copy of 365 Days of Catholci Wisdom: A Treasury of Truth, Beauty and Goodness to provide an honest review of it on this blog. The Catholic Man Reviews thanks TAN Books for the opportunity for us to review this title on our blog and look forward to future collaborations. All thoughts and opinions expressed in here are our own and reflect our sincere thoughts about the product.

Day 7: Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture

Catholic Bible Commentaries are very helpful in helping readers of Scriptures understand what they are reading. When reading the Scriptures, Catholics should not only approach the text merely by its ‘face-value’. Catholics read the Scripture “within “the living Tradition of the whole Church,”” (CCC 113) with foundations built upon Jesus Christ, and also then on the apostles and the continued interpretation and analysis by the Church Fathers and Doctors of the Church. Catholic readers of Scriptures must not dismiss tradition, but see it as a means to correctly interpret Scripture without inserting one’s subjective notions.

Moreover, the Catechism clearly and defines well the senses of Catholic reading of the Scriptures:

The literal sense is the meaning conveyed by the words of Scripture and discovered by exegesis, following the rules of sound interpretation: “All other senses of Sacred Scripture are based on the literal.”

The spiritual sense. Thanks to the unity of God’s plan, not only the text of Scripture but also the realities and events about which it speaks can be signs.

1. The allegorical sense. We can acquire a more profound understanding of events by recognizing their significance in Christ; thus the crossing of the Red Sea is a sign or type of Christ’s victory and also of Christian Baptism.

2. The moral sense. The events reported in Scripture ought to lead us to act justly. As St. Paul says, they were written “for our instruction”.

3. The anagogical sense (Greek: anagoge, “leading”). We can view realities and events in terms of their eternal significance, leading us toward our true homeland: thus the Church on earth is a sign of the heavenly Jerusalem.

CCC 116-117

I think a number of Catholics are unaware of such guidelines of reading Catholic Scripture. There are times when Scripture verses are thrown around giving people the wrong impression and wrong understanding of what the verse actually means. When Catholic Scripture is quoted to suit one’s own agenda, instead of seeing Scripture as the Living Word read in light of the Tradition of the Church, it becomes a tool that causes more spiritual harm than good. An example of this is the Pride Month page on the website of The Catholic District School Board (I will only speak about the uncontextualization of Scripture), which used Mark 1:11 in the following context:

^{https://www.tcdsb.org/forcommunity/communityrelations/pride-month/pages/default.aspx (as of December 17, 2021)}

Such verse comes from the first chapter of Mark, which speaks of the Baptism of the Lord. However, the context in which the verse is quoted here sounds like it is the voice of the Father speaking to human beings.

I question how many Catholic publically funded school, at least in my province of Ontario has a copy of some Catholic Biblical commentary? Classrooms may have shelves full of Bibles, enough for each student to borrow, but I question why not a single presence of a Biblical commentary that will help Catholic students understand the Scriptures that they read? The same might go with the Catholic home. Perhaps many Catholic Bibles have at least one copy of the Bible, but is there any copy of a Catholic Biblical commentary? Many Catholic Bibles such as the New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE) have alread extensive notes below, and Catholic study Bibles, like the Oxford Catholic Study Bible have amazing built-in essays, maps, that assist in this experience. However, I much prefer a separate volume of commentary that I think is able to provide so much more than what built-in Bible commentaries can do. A wonderful one-volume edition that I currently have is The New Jerome Biblical Commentary which has always been my go-to commentary if I face a roadblock in reading a specific Scripture passage of either the Old or New Testament. It is, I believe a very good investment. New copies retail at hefty prices, but used copies can be found for around $30.00 USD. I peronally bought mine at a used book sale for only $5.00 CAD (hopefully COVID-19 will soon go away so I can go back to book hunting!)

In the recent decade, Baker Academic Publishing have been able to complete a whole New Testament Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. I have been blessed to receive a review copy for The Gospel of Matthew to review on our blog. The totaly New Testament set is consisted of 17 volumes. While I would still vouch for my copy of the New Jerome Biblical Commentary, if you want to study more of a specific book of the New Testament, then The Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture series is for you. What you get with multi-volume Biblical commentaries is different than the a one-volume commentary.

For easy reference to the following features, you can view a PDF sample, or Amazon preview, of the Gospel of Matthew volume.

Curtis Mitch and Edward Sri dives deep into the Gospel of Matthew in this volume of The Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. The introduction outlines some features that the common Catholic may not even consider, despite hearing the Gospel of Matthew on most Sundays of Year A: Who was the author of the Gospel of Matthew? What type of audience was the Gospel of Matthew written for? When was the Gospel of Matthew written? What is the relevance of Matthew’s Gospel today?… These are all questions that I think are often not asked when we read or listen to the Gospel of Matthew, but I think will be able to frame the Gospel in a oarticular lens. Having these details I think, would help us realize that the Gospels are not written as a story, or historical account, but something living, meant to be a dialogue that even the people of God today are invited to join in.

One of the features that I really like about the Bible is an outline of the Gospel. Often we refer to Biblical stories by their chapter and verse number, but little attention do we pay to the headings of the Gospel reading. We sometimes might mechanically turn to a chapter and verse, in reference to a particular story, but it is such a different perspective to see the outline of the Gospel itself, and ponder where various stories or events are located within the particular Gospel. Morever, I find this helpful in helping the reader get a better idea into where specific stories or events are located in the Gospel.

Each ‘chapter’ is divided based on the Gospel heading. I will pay particular attention to Matthew 1:1-25 as an example (and also because it is the Gospel as of the day of publishing). I think this is coincidentally a great example, because it is the Gospel of the geneology of Jesus… you know, the list of names of the ancestors of Jesus? Honestly, for me, it is one of the least interesting Gospel and I think for many others, but reading through the commentary in this volume for it is fairly interesting.

If you do not have your Bible with you as you read this commentary, that is not a problem, because surprisingly for me, the texts of the Gospel are inserted in bold-italic texts (in NABRE translation), and are split into segments where the commentators think is appropriate.

For example, the segment is commentary of Matthew 1:1 – only one single line:

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

However, one would be surprised that only one verse, but nearly two pages of commentary are made available, which speak to the literal, allegorical, moral, anagogical senses of the particular passage. This is so important for Catholics, because one may think that taking the line for face-value, there is not much to it, but just Matthew 1:1 has much to unpack historically and theologically.  

To make the passage just commentated upon more relevant and applicable to daily life, there is a section after each commentary called, “Reflection and Application.” After learning about the Gospel passage, now it is time to apply it. Specifically with the geneology, it is interesting the application and relevancy provided here.

Interspersed throughout the book are grey boxes. Some are titled “Living Tradition,” and as the name suggests, in light of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, helps present the Scripture interpret the Scriptures in “the living Tradition” with a quote and commentary from one of the Church Fathers. Some grey boxes are titled “Biblical Background,” which provides some commentary, explanation and cross references to important concepts. For example, page 105, in the commentary of Matthew 6:1-18, there is “Biblical Background” box with the heading, “Calling God Father,” which speaks of instances of such in the Old and New Testament. Occasionally, maps/diagrams/photographs may pop up which brings even more life to the Scripture readings.

The end of the book has a list of Suggested Reading with further resources that will help one learn more about the Gospel of Matthew. Following that is a nice concise glossary of the terms used, pastoral topics index, and even an index of sidebars.

Overall there is a wealth of content in this volume of The Gospel of Matthew which I believe will certainly be the case in other volumes. This commentary also seems to be for use in Bible study groups too, so you do not need to learn about the Bible alone.

This is a big investment, I think, to get 17-volumes. I suggest, starting with the Four Gospels. In a few days, Baker Academic Publishing is releasing a special boxed, 4-volume hardcover set of the commentary of the Gospels. As for the other books, depending on your finances, you might want to look into getting one or two a year. That way, you may be motivated into reading them before buying new ones. It is fruitful to actually use these commentaries, then purchase a whole set merely for display in a library. There is much content in these volumes that I think, will change your perspectives on the Gospels, in light of the tradition of the Church. I truly hope to see a set for the Old Testament texts.

Click here to learn more details on Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture series, as well as purchase.

Disclaimer: Vincent Pham was provided a review copy of Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture: The Gospel of Matthew to provide an honest review of it on this blog. The Catholic Man Reviews thanks Baker Academic for the opportunity for us to review this title on our blog and look forward to future collaborations. All thoughts and opinions expressed in here are our own and reflect our sincere thoughts about the product.

Day 5: Mystery of the Altar, daily Catholic devotional

One of the things that people all around the world have been deprived of at various stages of the COVID-19 is the gift of celebrating the Eucharist around the altar of the Lord. Such memories of “attending” livestream Mass is all too fresh in the minds of many. I think for many, including myself, there have been a renewed sense of appreciation and devotion to the Eucharist. Yet, if the Eucharist is such a great, beautiful gift given to us by Our Lord, Jesus Christ, and continued to be made available to humanity in every generation, what have the saints, Church Fathers, Popes and lay people said about it in general?

Mystery of the Altar is a new daily Catholic devotional, recently published in January 2021, which contains meditations on the Eucharist from ancient and modern Catholic sources from the ‘classics’ like St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas, to the ‘newer’ figures like St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI. There are also several figures whom I have not heard of before, such as Maximus of Turin, Columbia Marmion, Jacobus da Varagine… and many more. Kenneth Howell and Joseph Crownwood really put in a lot of time of and effort to compile a wide variety of credible Catholic voices. The extent and diversity of reflections on the Eucharist honestly surprised me, about how many people have written and reflected upon the Eucharist throughout 2000-years of Church history. At the same time, it should not be surprising because “[t]he Eucharist is “the source and summit of the Christian life.”” (CCC 1324) Due to its centrality of the liturgical mysteries we celebrate, it has therefore deserved much attention, reflection and contemplation.

The devotional tries its best to align the feasts and memorials (that have fixed dates) with the writing of the respective saint of the day, or at least a meditation on the Eucharist which in some way relates to the mystery celebrated that day. For example, August 19 is the memorial of St. John Eudes and so the meditation contains a meditation on the Eucharist written by Eudes. September 18 is the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and so the meditation of that day contains a meditation from Bl. Anne Catherine Emmerich which highlights “Mary’s priority in receiving Holy Communion” in her vision of the Last Supper. You are then not only able to meditate on the Eucharist, but you have the opportunity to do so in communion with the Saint whose feast/memorial the Church celebrates on a specific day.

However, judging by what I have written so far, I hope you are not instilled with the thought that it is just day after day of excerpts of writings of Catholic figures on the Eucharist. It is not that at all. Howell and Crownwood have put together such eloquent but concise introduction for every meditation. These serve to provide some context for what you are to read. I think the two authors put this best in their Preface:

Introductions are affixed to each passage to provide necessary background information and to highlight the prevailing Eucharistic theme.

Just like any primary source of the Catholic Church, even with the Vatican II documents, it is always good to have some introduction, at least some historical, theological context to what you are reading. It helps you to become informed about the background of what you are reading. More importantly, I think it also helps one to not form opinions or thoughts that may distort the meaning of the text being read. People nowadays I think need such introductions to what they read. A scroll on social media makes this clear – people say and form thoughts that lack background knowledge that in turn causes misundertandings among others. Therefore, just like Howell and Crownwood, if you are considering publishing a devotional with primary sources, please take that effort to not only compile material well, but also provide short introductions – it helps readers tremendously.

Speaking about compiling material well, it is very well worth noting that much time and effort was spent to provide quality content, especially in terms of its readability. I quote again from the Preface:

Many of the quoted texts have been newly translated, while others represent fitting English editions. In most cases, familiar poems and hymns have been retranslated with an eye toward the literal, avoiding poetic renderings that distort the original meaning.

Expect then, literal translations, not dynamic equivalence that would fit a certain tune. I think a prime example of this is on June 11 which features the Pange Lingua of St. Thomas Aquinas. Most people would be familiar with the hymn’s last two stanzas, commonly referred to as Tantum Ergo or Down in Adoration Falling, often sung at the start of Benediction. I provide here a side-by-side view of the poetic version, often sung at Benediction and the one provided in this devotional.

Poetic version (commonly sung at Benediction)	Literal version (used in Mystery of the Altar)
Down in adoration falling, Lo! the Sacred Host we hail, Lo! o’er ancient forms departing Newer rites of grace prevail; Faith for all defects supplying, Where the feeble senses fail. To the Everlasting Father, And the Son Who reigns on high With the Holy Ghost proceeding Forth from Each eternally, Be salvation, honour, blessing, Might, and endless majesty. Amen.	Therefore, so great a Sacrament, let us afore in prostration, and the old rites give way to the new. Let faith give strength where the senses fail. To the Begetter and the Begotten be praise and jubilation, reverence, honor, and might, and blessings, And to the one who proceeds from both, may equal praise be. Amen.

Interesting comparison, right? I think it is interesting to read a literal translation of such an ancient and seemingly familiar hymn, which then doesn’t seem familar when you read the literal translation.

What do you get out of this devotional? Is it merely just reading as a spiritual practice? Well maybe, but the authors have something a bit more than that, as they end the Preface:

In these pages, one finds endless apologetics, exegetical insights, and miraculous works in confirmation of the faith. It is the hope of the authors that this volume may stir hearts to an ever more profound devotion to that love of loves, Jesus Christ in the Most Blessed Sacrament.

Therefore, Mystery of the Altar would be more than just a spiritual read for every day of the year. It would become a “school” of the Eucharist, where one will have the opportuntiy to see different viewpoints of the Eucharist, in a apologetical lens, from an exegetical theological point of view but also learn of the miracles that confirm this great Mystery of our Faith.

The book comes in two versions: an eBook and a hardcopy with imitation leather cover. The copy I am reviewing from is a hardcopy and it is indeed quite a handsome volume in the hand. The hardcopy comes in imitation leather, with gilded edges, and a white stain ribbon. It is indeed a book that you would want to pick up in hardcopy, in my opinion. However, an eBook for those on the go would be equally beneficial as well. Either version will serve as a great tool for your spiritual life.

Mystery of the Altar is a great resource to start the year off right. It will give you a sense of deeper appreciation and renewed insight on the Eucharist that you may not want to take for granted such a wonderful gift. This is beautiful volume that will serve as a companion for Eucharistic renewal for many, many years to come, especially as the church in the United States of America, in particular, begin their plan for Eucharistic Revival.

You can purchase an eBook or hardcopy of Mystery of the Altar here from St. Paul Centre for Biblical Theology.

Disclaimer: Vincent Pham was provided a review copy of Mystery of the Altar to provide an honest review of it on this blog. The Catholic Man Reviews thanks St. Paul Centre for Biblical Theology for the opportunity for us to review this title on our blog and look forward to future collaborations. All thoughts and opinions expressed in here are our own and reflect our sincere thoughts about the product.